Proposal to raise age falls short
VMers, we have spoken out about raising the legal incarceration age many times. And this week Australia’s Attorneys-General agreed to develop a proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. But is it enough? We think not.
Australia’s Environmental Policy exposed
We are used to outperforming on the world stage, in entertainment, Sports, the Arts, Business, we Australians like to picture ourselves as punching above our weight. Unfortunately, when it comes to climate policy, we rank 60th out of 60 countries on Climate Change policy.
Is Green Hydrogen really green?
In a week were the NSW govt has trumpeted its new Green H2 strategy, we try and find some answers to the question – is it really green, and will it help us speed up the decarbonisation of our planet?
Race to save the planet
The IPCC’s climate change report revealed that 1.5 degrees warming, the threshold beyond which fires, droughts, floods and cyclones become severe and frequent, is only 10 years away. With Australia already dealing with 1.4 degrees warming, what can we do?
Moving right along
Let’s just park the latest case numbers for a moment and look at something beautiful and heart-warming. This year, citizen scientists have captured footage of southern right whales off the east coast, using drones to capture headshots of the endangered mammal. The results are stunning.
Long run to equality
With the Tokyo Olympics set to go ahead, the focus has once again shifted to its athletes, specifically to its female cohort. Why? This year’s Olympics will feature the most female athletes ever while the body has symbolically appointed 12 women to its executive board. Hype or monumental shift? We let you decide.
Getting through lockdown
And just like that, half the Australian population is stuck at home again. Having lockdown fatigue (thinking of you, Melbourne) and wondering how to get through this latest episode of Groundhog Day? Here are some ways to help you stay on the right side of sanity.
Mother of a battle: inside the childcare debate
Recent suggestions by members of the Coalition that “women are outsourcing parenting” by sending their kids to childcare is archaic and unhelpful. Parents are critical but young children need relationships with others to develop social and cognitive skills. Quality childcare also removes barriers for women to re-enter the workforce.
UNESCO’s warning to Australia
The Great Barrier Reef could be added to the World Heritage Sites’ “in danger” list, warned UNESCO earlier this week. The announcement landed suddenly and government ministers were immediately up in arms, citing disappointment with “being sidelined” and “Chinese involvement”. What’s going on?
Australia’s Nomadland
As the rental crisis deepens, news is surfacing of our own version of Nomadland. Homeless people are forced into remote campsites and mixing in with the grey nomad crowd who are facing – once again – COVID border closures. The call of the Australian outback is real for many but does reality match up?
Urgent action needed to revive ecosystems
World Environment Day 2021 is calling for urgent action to revive damaged ecosystems. From forests to wetlands to coasts, healthy ecosystems are crucial to our wellbeing. Now, global restoration is on the cards – and it’s being tackled on a massive scale. Here’s what to expect…
Detention up, compassion at all-time low
The budget just allocated billions more to immigration detention. A few days ago, new legislation was passed that could see refugees detained indefinitely. All that comes among reports that some refugees have been waiting many years for their claims to be asylum cases to be decided. What will happen to them now?
